cirriform"Like cirrus; more generally, descriptive of clouds composed of small particles, mostly ice crystals, that are fairly widely dispersed, ...
CIRRIFORM: High altitude ice clouds with a very thin wispy appearance.
CIRROCUMULUS: Cirrus clouds with vertical development.
CIRROSTRATUS: Cirrus clouds with a flat sheetlike appearance.
cirriform: describes high clouds formed with small, mostly ice particles that result in white, transparent clouds that often produce a halo when the sun shines through them.
CIRRIFORM Clouds composed of small particles, mostly ice crystals. Because the particles are fairly widely dispersed, this usually results in relative transparency and whiteness, often producing a halo phenomena not observed in other clouds forms.
cirriform—All species and varieties of cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrosiratus clouds; descriptive of clouds composed mostly or entirely of small ice crystals, usually transparent and white; ...
Cirrus - A cirriform cloud composed of ice. Appears as fibrous strands.
Collision and coalescence - Process important in precipitation formation; involves the colliding of cloud drops or raindrops and the "sticking-together" of them.
Cirrocumulus: a cirriform cloud characterized by thin, white patches, each of which is composed of very small granules or ripples. These clouds are of high altitude (20,000-40,000 ft or 6000 -12,000 m).
Anvil Cloud
A Cirriform cloud, with an anvil shape, which forms the upper part of a well-developed Cumulonimbus. Its glaciated top spreads out horizontally upon reaching the tropopause or by the action of the winds aloft.
They are most commonly seen during winter in the middle latitudes and are exclusively associated with cirriform clouds. They are also known as mock suns. Partial Beam FillingA limitation of the rainfall estimation techniques used by NEXRAD.
cirrus - (Abbreviated Ci.) A principal cloud type (cloud genus) composed of detached cirriform elements in the form of white, delicate filaments, of white (or mostly white) patches, or of narrow bands.
>> Dissipation trails (DISTRAILS): In contrast to the formation of CONTRAILS (see Q/A 2A.10), aircraft on passage at high levels can cause the dissipation of pre-existing cirriform cloud, ...
Several variations of the cumulonimbus are the incus (anvil), which has a well-formed anvil of cirriform cloud. Calvus (bald), which lacks the anvil. Often this is when the storm is still in the developing stage.
They are caused by the refraction of sunlight passing through ice crystals. They are most commonly seen during winter in the middle latitudes and are exclusively associated with cirriform clouds. They are also known as mock suns.
 See also: Cloud, Light, Horizon, Surface, Air
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